Walthamstow Central Station
Walthamstow Central is a London Underground and commuter rail station. It is the terminus of the Victoria line, and is on the Chingford branch of the London commuter rail network operated by Greater Anglia (commuter trains in northeast London originating at Liverpool Street). It is a short walk from London Overground railway station Walthamstow Queen's Road. History The station was opened by the Great Eastern Railway (as Hoe Street) in 1870 and London Underground services started on 1 September 1968. The up-side station building is a remarkably well preserved example of a mid-Victorian country station. The station's present name was only given when the Victoria line arrived. The underground station, like many stations on the Victoria line, was never completely finished. White ceiling panels were never fixed to the ceilings above the platforms; instead the steel tunnel segments were painted black and used to support the fixtures and fittings. This has had a detrimental effect on the lighting levels. There is a concrete stairway between the two escalators instead of a third escalator; this caused a hugely disruptive station closure for several weeks in 2004 when both escalators went out of service. The main entrance to the above-ground station is on the down side and is opposite the local bus station, which was revamped in summer 2004. There are three staffed ticket windows and a number of ticket machines to serve the majority of the traffic that enters the station. The entrance to the tube was revamped in early 2006. There is a smaller entrance and ticket office on the up line, providing convenient access to the car park; however, the ticket office here is normally unstaffed outside peak hours. A subway was built in 2005 under the busy Selborne Road linking a new bus station with a new Victoria line ticket office. The original plan was to fit out and open the new subway and ticket office in spring 2005 but problems with insufficient power capacity to supply two new lifts, together with planning and contractual errors, delayed the opening. The subway and ticket office were finally opened on 19 November 2007, albeit without the completion of the new lifts (completed in late 2008) and with unfinished building work. Ticket barriers control access to the Victoria line platforms but the Lea Valley Line platforms are open. According to Transport for London, the construction of a footpath to nearby Walthamstow Queen's Road is in planning. The link will significantly shorten the walking time between the two stations. Transport Link London Bus routes 20, 34, 48, 58, 69, 97, 212, 215, 230, 257, 275, 357, W11, W12, W15, W19, School bus routes 675 and Night routes N26, N38 and N73 from Walthamstow Central Bus Station. Services The typical off-peak service provided by Greater Anglia is: *4tph to Chingford *4tph to Liverpool Street (doesn't stop at London Fields, Cambridge Heath) References #'^' "Train Station Information and Network Map". National Express East Anglia. Retrieved 2 January 2010. #'^' "Step free Tube Guide". Transport for London. December 2009. Retrieved 8 February 2010. #'^' "Out of Station Interchanges" (Microsoft Excel). Transport for London. May 2011. Retrieved 7 August 2011. #"Customer metrics: entries and exits". London Underground performance update. Transport for London. 2003-2010. Retrieved 8 May 2011. #"Station usage". Rail statistics. Office of Rail Regulation. 30 April 2010. Retrieved 17 January 2011. Please note: Some methodology may vary year on year. #TfL External links *Train times and station information for Walthamstow Central station from National Rail Category:Stations in Travelcard Zone 3 Category:Stations in the London Borough of Waltham Forest Category:Victoria Line Stations